The need to make new technologies ever more productive and efficient has led BMR to further invest in Research&Development, finding a new finishing solution capable of guaranteeing an adequate,constant workflow capable of extremely high performance.
The answer comes mainly from SuperShine, the high-tech machine dedicated to a treatment that is changing the process dedicated to the finishing of ceramic surfaces. SuperShine is very similar to the lapping machine, but heavier, and equipped with “dry” technology which allows it to be defined in all respects as the first dry super-polisher. Its manufacturing process is based on mechanical and physical dynamics between the tool, the surface and the chemical product applied, and aims to enhance the digital graphics of the tile and to guarantee high gloss and protection for the surface.Lapping is the first stage in processing which involves removing the surface on glazed products and/or porcelain
stoneware (see photo 1). This is followed by the finishing and then the treatment stages.
photo 1
In the actual lapping phase, dedicated purely to aesthetics, the goal is to obtain the desired finish, giving the surface a high degree of gloss and an appearance of reflection and greater depth thanks to the considerable reduction in roughness (see photos 2 and 3).
photo 2
photo 3
In the subsequent stages, SuperShine acts on the morphology of the surface, giving the finished product very specific and functional technical characteristics, such as high resistance to abrasion and acid attacks, and does so by filling the pores, typical to the material. In fact, it is known that a lapped product generally reaches the super-polishing stage with 55/60 Gloss and Ra 0.060 mm; after the treatment the Gloss value is 95/100 and the average roughness Ra 0.020 mm. This final value gives the tile a good resistance to dirtying and staining.
Below, we show the analysis carried out on a surface treated with supergloss applied through a BMR SuperShine lapping and treatment line.
– ANALYSIS WITH ELECTRON MICROSCOPEICO
To read the photos properly, it is important to underline that the chromatic scale is inversely proportional to the density: elements with higher density, therefore, appear whiter, while the void, as corresponding to the absence of density, appears blacker the deeper the pore. In the photo of the treated material sample (as an example), the light and uniform colour of the pores defines the penetration of the treatment (the lighter the colour, the denser the treatment).
Conversely, we can see how the colour of the glaze around the pores remained unchanged, demonstrating that it was not coated with any material.
Conversely, we can see how the colour of the glaze around the pores remained unchanged, demonstrating that it was not coated with any material.
ENLARGEMENT OF PREVIOUS IMAGES
When the images are enlarged, it can be seen that, in addition to the colour, the appearance of the pores has also changed:
The green and blue boxes in the photos highlight the points where a qualitative analysis of the chemical elements present was made, with the following resulting spectra:
– UNTREATED
The composition analyses show how the elements present in the pore of the untreated material are the same as those found in the area surrounding the pore, namely: Si, O, Ca, Zn Na, K.
By comparing the values of the empty pore with those of the subsequent spectra (full pores) found on the treated material, it would appear how the elements in the area surrounding the pore have remained the same and how they have instead changed within it. The reason is to be found in the effect of the porosity saturation resulting from the treatment, it needs noting that the surface part of the glaze has not
been coated. In the area surrounding the pore, in fact, Si, O, Ca, Zn Na, K are found again, while within it is almost exclusively Si and O.
Furthermore, it is possible to note that the quantity of carbon C is practically the same in all the samples, with a very low presence: this data demonstrates the inorganic nature of the treatments carried out. The Au (gold) peak, on the other hand, is due to the metallization of the samples, a technique necessary to prepare the samples for scanning analysis.
As we can see from the analyses, the post-lapping process using SuperShine affects both protection and finish. In fact, thanks to the lapping process, the average roughness value Ra is further lowered (about 40% less).
CONCLUSIONS
Given the checks carried out, it is therefore possible to argue that the process carried out with SuperShine has a double value: aesthetic polishing, obtained through the mechanical action of the tools, and the protective treatment, a consequence of the closure of the surface porosity. These results are demonstrated both by the increase in Gloss – which passes from a value of 73/76 at input to that of 89/92 at the output from SuperShine – and by the lowering of roughness, which after lapping undergoes a further reduction of 40%.
The composition analyses also show that no material resulting from the treatment has been carried over to the glaze and that the treatment inside the pores is inorganic.
It should also be added that the polishing stage done with SuperShine allows an upgrade of the line also from a finish point of view. In fact, the improvement of the aesthetic result is consolidated experience thanks to its ability to remove finishing defects such as halos, progress marks and micro scratches. All this brings about both an increase in the productivity of the line, reducing fixed production costs, and a significant increase in the qualitative yield of the slab.